A Strange Maid's Life
by wild MAGIC user
Summary: Cecile is an ordinary maid living at Pirate's Swoop. At least, that's what everyone else thinks...What happens when her past is revieled in one terrible, horror filled accident? Semi-Songfic to Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, hi! Idk if I am actually going to keep going on with this song fic after this, but w.e. I can start, right? I know this may be a bit weird, but I am thinking of not continuing my other stories. NO ONE REVIEWS, and I am not sure I like them. The only ones I like are the ones I am doing with INUcarott1, and those have been getting pretty difficult to do!**

**Anyway, onto a more brighter note, this is a songfic to the song Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson, and is about a girl named Cecile, or Ceci for short. (That's pronounced Sissy.) **

**So, I guess I will start it with a disclaimer: TAMORA PIERCE IS A GENIOUS. I own NOTHING except for Ceci and maybe the plot. Maybe.**

Grew up in a small town. 

And when the rain would fall down,

I'd just stare out my window.

"Cecile! Look at you, you are a mess! Go get cleaned up, before my Lady sees you like this!" I looked up from the window I had been staring out of to look at the headmistress of the maids, or as I call her, the Fat Ring Master. She leads all of us younger maids in the small palace of Pirate's Swoop with an iron fist. Her real name is Mistress Leah DiaCapra, but no one calls her that. Not even the kind Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop, or his wife, Lady Knight Alanna of Pirate's Swoop, Olau, and Trebond.

"Yes Mistress, right away Mistress." I said with a monotone voice.

"Now Ceci, stop that! And cheer up, Veralidaine Salmalin is visiting with Sarralyn and Rikash tomorrow, and Lady Alanna is already here. You shall be kept on your toes, no doubt. Now go and get changed. And brush that hair! You look like you just crawled out of a dungeon, for Mithros's Sake!"

I bowed and left, my extremely long, red-blonde hair falling out the many clips I had thrown it in that morning. I ran up the spiraling staircase and into one of the many second-level floor rooms, which held 5 small beds, 3 dressers, and a large room with a tub and all sorts of things one would need. I walked to one of the dressers, the one I shared with the older maid Rea, and took out a clean shift and a long, crimson over throw. Placing them on, a also donned a light pair of leggings and my least-worn boots. I walked into the washing room where I took out all of the pins and brushed my straight hair, while looking into my light hazel eyes.

People say my eyes are more gold than hazel, but seriously they are not that special. They are no good to stare with, because they always look soft and modest, though my high arched cheekbones gave my face a feline look.

"Ceci? Where are you? I heard Mistress say you had gone to get cleaned up." Rea had come in, and I smiled as she entered the washing room.

"She caught me lookin' at the rain." I said, the slight lilt in my voice catching. Right then I was country raised and brought here about a year ago to work, after my parents had mysteriously vanished, but more on that later. I shrugged it off and added "Besides, she tol' me that Alanna is here, and Daine be on her way all ready with the lil' ones!"

"I know all that already, Ceci, and so would you if you had actually gone to breakfast for once!" Rea grabbed my hand with a disapproving look. "You are already pole-skinny, and George will have the Cook's head if you faint from hunger. You know how he thinks of us!"

There she had caught me. George always looked after the maids and commoners like we were Nobles, making sure all of us were fed and groomed proper.

"I'll tell him off, if it come to that. Which it won't." I retorted as Rea dragged me out of the room and into the kitchens, on the next floor down. She started cutting vegetables for the Noble's lunch as I prepared the Broth and spices.

"Course it won't, but still." Rea said with a dubious look in her eye. Suddenly a twinkle showed through, and she threw a piece of carrot at me.

"Don't waist food." The Cook said. "We won't be getting much more after this month, with all of the farmers storing it for the Big Freeze." I shuddered. As much as I loved the country and it's changing weather, I hated winter and Big Freezes. It meant ice and snow and days of shoveling both out of roads and way of Nobles.

"Sorry Cook." I said and threw the piece of carrot into the stew.

"Good girl. Now, I hear that Sarralyn is coming soon. Tell me it to be the truth!" Cook loved little Sarralyn, who for all of her five years was the best cook anyone had seen.

"Yup. And Rikash." I said. We all laughed as the picture of Rikash as we had last seen him popped into our heads. The little three year old had been trying to follow his mother into the woods to see some sort of animal, and had some how gotten himself stuck in a tree! Poor little thing had balled for hours before someone had found him, and then he had begged us for sweets to numb his shock.

"Poor thing. How big is he now?" Another cook, this time younger than Cook's 40 years of age, yet slightly older than my 13 looked over at us.

"He's 4 now, and his sister is nearly 6." Rea said as she dumped the last of the vegetables for the broth in. It was so calm in the kitchens, and the talk so fun, I nearly forgot that I was planned for punishment that afternoon. I glanced at one of the candles and saw that an hour had gone by since I had come to the kitchens.

"Mithros, I have to go." I said and climbed off of the stool I had been sitting on.

"Good luck." Rea said, and Cook and the young helper nodded.

"What did you do this time?" Cook asked.

"I was watchin' the rain." I said. "It be so peaceful in the stables, I couldn't help it." They all laughed and I took my leave, letting the door swing shut behind me as I raced to the staircase. Up three flights I went, took a left down a long hall, and entered a long passageway the led to only one door. _The _door. _Her _door. The Mistress was always hard on us when it came to slacking off, and though she never hit us, sometimes I wished she did.

Dreaming of what could be,

And if I'd end up happy,

I would pray…I would pray 

"And to think the shame of what you did, what if Keladry of Mindelan was here? Or if Alanna had had walked in, or Baron George? I would be held responsible for your careless actions…" Mistress's voice went in and out of my head as I sat in front of her desk, pretending to listen to what she was saying to me. "And the dishonor, if a Noble were visiting and saw you slacking off…" I had heard this thousands of times, first she would start with the "your sooo bad," then move to the "what ifs," and finally the "don't do it again(s)." Finally, after an hour of torture, she allowed me to leave. By now lunch had come and gone, and I had had nothing to eat all day. I walked down the stairs, my boots clicking a rhythm out and I started to hum. It was a useless, petty hum that wouldn't even be counted as a song, if anyone cared enough to judge. Which they didn't.

When I got to the ground level, where people came in and out, maids passed me bearing trays to unaccountable rooms and flustered scholars swept passed, carrying scrolls to Noble's in meetings or those who were interested enough to read them.

I felt weird, like a puzzle piece being put into the wrong slot or something. I couldn't really name what I was feeling, but I just didn't belong here. All my friends, which included Cook, Rea, Alanna and George and their children, Daine and Numair and their children, and some other people I had met once, all seemed so-so- fit into there lives. I felt I wasn't, it was hard to explain. Though I had just gotten finished being yelled at for day dreaming and watching the rain, I sat on a lonely stool and looked out at the winter storm that was hitting big outside. It would probably be the last rainstorm, seeing as the temperatures were dropping and snow was sure to fall soon. I shivered and dreamt of what it would be like to live as a noble.

People would ask me what I wanted for breakfast, or lunch, or supper. No more shifts and over throws, but gowns and jewelry. No more hiding my secret…no more staying me…I was snapped out of my dream by a slap and a pinch. I looked into the eyes of Rea, who mouthed "sorry" but then cocked her head to the other side of the room. Alanna watched them, with something like a grin on her face. I smiled back, but then turned to Rea and said casually,

"Yeah, them windows do look a bit dusty." and started to wipe them with one of the many handkerchiefs I keep in my sleeves. "Thanks, Rea." I whispered.

"No problem. Just stop your silly dreaming. It is getting you no where fast, and Mistress is losing patience with you. I heard my self she wanted to slap you last week."

"She always says that, never does nothin' though. I ain't worryin' till she does." I replied, figuring the window was spotless enough. "Gotta go, Rea. Promised George I'd help him with the Grand Hall. He's a-gonna have a ball tomorrow, you wait and see!" I said happily.

"Of course there is going to be a ball." Rea said, and shoved me towards the door. "No go, before Mistress comes again." I ran to the other end of castle, where George was talking to a scribe, who was making plans for how the tables were going to be set up.

"Oh, Cecile, good good. I have a mission for you." George said, his eyes kind as he showed me the plans. "See, I want the Nobles and Hot Heads at the opposite side of the door, but that would be where the servants usually stand when they are waiting to be called upon. If ya could be so kind as to move the servants' chairs to the area 'round that door, I'll take care of the table." He said with the same lilt in his voice as Ceci had, though less of one.

"Course, Master." I said with a sly smile. No maids had to call George anything but George, but it was their little game.

"And once your done, the table where Joshua, my head of guards, is to be moved to the left, sort of where we had the Ambassador sitting when he came to visit." He added.

"Yes'm." I said, and got to work. Three hours later I sat in the washing room, awaiting my turn to use the tub. I had worked up a sweat, moving chairs and tables to make room is the great hall, but so had everyone else. Out of the five of us, I was third in line. When Amily hopped out, Rea hopped in. I was next, and often told Rea that.

"Hurry up, Rea. You take forever!" I said and squealed when she splashed me with warm, soapy water.

"I am out." Rea said, and I happily sunk into the tub. The warm water was soothing, and I soaked there for a moment before Lara, the girl who was to get in after me, poked me.

"Hurry now, don't want to take forever, do you?" She asked and we giggled. Another hour later, all but Sarah, who had been the last one in to the tub, were in bed sleeping. I lay awake, hearing Sarah brush her hair, and fix her glasses, and finally hop into her cot. Soon the only sounds were the four girls breathing, and my own pacing heart. 'This is it.' I thought.

Slowly, trying not to wake anyone, I got out of bed and into the only dress I owned. Walking into the wash room, I looked at my appearance and snorted. The dress was blue, which didn't look good with my red-blonde hair. I closed my eyes and set to work fixing that. When I opened them, my hair was pure blonde, and my cheeks held the rosy-red my hair had had moments before. I then changed my eyebrows form the gentle curve and semi-plump red that they had been before, to slim, blonde, extremely curved little ones. My eyes took on a more blue-ish hue, and my mouth softened and turned cherry red. There! Almost done, except…I looked at my body, which had not changed much in anyway from my childhood…if you get what I mean.

After going through some changes, I walked out looking like a thirteen year old Noble daughter, except that I had no proper shoes. Shrugging, I walked out of our room and down a couple halls, then up one floor to the ground floor. The doors had been shut against the rain, but I swiftly opened them and walked outside. A sentry looked at me oddly, and then walked to me.

"Hello dear. Do I know you?" He asked, a smile creeping on to his face.

"No, I don't believe you do. I am with the delegation that is coming tomorrow, but was sent ahead with some of the Mages that came today. I hope you don't mind, but I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk…in the rain." I said in a sweet, high pitched voice. The lilt in it was gone, and my walk no longer was that of a country born.

"Why of course you may, though it seems a bit wet to be walking. May I ask your name?" I didn't hesitate in saying

"Renai."

"Renai of where?" He asked, walking just a bit closer.

"Renai of the Doi, and if you don't move I shall have to magic you." I teased, and he knew it wasn't true, anyone would. Instead of questioning further, he let me pass, and I walked calmly away from him. Out of the palace walls, the city was dark and quite, for no rapists or pick pockets lived in Pirate's Swoop. 'Which should be renamed to George's Swoop.' I though, for the only pirates who came here were the ones that tried to fight George, and hardly any did these days.

About an hour later I went back to the palace, making sure not to be seen by the same guard. It helped my disguise, especially because there was no Renai in any of the delegations coming in.

I soon was back in my cot, falling asleep listening to the rain hit the hard stone of the palace wall's.

**Yay, end of chapter one! I'll try to keep all of the chapters at this length, I like it. Anyway, as I said before, Idk where this story will go, but I hope it will turn out good! **

**R & R A LOT. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2!!!!!! Yay, kind of. Ok, so let me clear up some things. Cecile is a Changer, or some people refer to it as Shifters. She can change any part of her body she wants to, including her voice. That's basically it. Yay.**

Trying hard to reach out,

But when I try to speak out,

Feel like no one can hear me.

That night the ball was held. Everyone that was in Pirate's Swoop attended, with merchants and farmers in a separate room then the soldiers and Nobles. I was to serve in the kitchens, for the last time I served out in the hall I got into a "heated discussion" as Mistress called it, or argument, with one of Nobles and-err-it wasn't good.

"Pass me the water bowl Ceci." Sarah said impatiently.

"Sorry." I said rudely. Of all of the younger Maids, the on I liked least was Sarah. Rea was next, then came little Amily and lastly Lara. A few moments later they were back for the first of the food courses, which were just light cracker and salad appetizers. Along with us five maids, there were six boys who helped out. One of them was Alan, Alanna's youngest son. His twin sister was playing with her baby, Allison. Though he was a full blood knight, he was light hearted and loved to flirt with some of the Cook's younger helpers. They enjoyed his company, though when ever he did flirt I stuck out me tongue and gagged. Boys were so over rated.

One of the boys who helped, Phillip, was coming now to get his appetizers. I passed them over to him, and the other four boys as they came. I counted off heads. Tall, shy Elie, small Erik, annoying Earl, and fidgety Ryan. Each was a small help, but us girls liked it anyway. The less jobs we had to do, the longer we could take doing our business.

"Erik, who is the new noble you be serving?" I asked him as he came for the second meat coarse, wild boar with a lemony dressing.

"I don't know, figured you would know him. He is exceptionally quite." Out of all the boys, Erik was by far the kindest, though Elie could be if he would talk once in a while.

"Nope, not the slightest idea. How 'bout you ask?" I asked him with a smile.

"Nah, he'll be gone by tomorrow anyway. He's too quite to stay long." Erik then left, to be replaced by Amily. I was kept busy with the 10 servers (including Alan.) I was amused to find that there were 10 servers for the Nobles, yet only nine tables. Across the kitchen was another door, blocked as this one was with a thin wall of wood, so none of the guests could see the kitchen staff who handed food over (me) to the servers. On the other side was the other kitchen staff who was handing over food, a tall youth named Pete, who happened to be two years older than me, yet six inches taller. Well, in this form he was.

After the real courses, the deserts were laid out, including sweet cakes and sugar decorations that ranged from small crowns to a lioness, rearing on it's hind legs. The Lioness laughed when she saw it, and so did almost everyone else.

After the Nobles left to the dancing room (again) and the merchants and farmers mostly went home, we got to eat. The kitchen staff, servers, helpers, and guards all ate together, talking and laughing. Some fell asleep in there chairs, among them including Erik and Amily. I carried Amily up the stairs early and washed myself quickly before going to bed. I was exhausted, after barely getting sleep the other night and the excitement of today, I barely could keep my eyes open long enough to hit the pillow before falling into a deep slumber.

The next day donned bright and dry, with a slight breeze. I stayed outside most of the day, trimming the bushes and mending the many gardens that surrounded the small palace. Once again I felt as if I didn't belong as one of the elder maids came out to hang up laundry and snorted with laughter at my dirt stained pants and my hand, which held a flower.

"Maids do inside work. Leave outside work to gardeners and other people. Come help me with the laundry." The maid said.

"Yes'm." I replied. The older maids usually left us younger ones a lone, and were usually very strict. Some weren't, but I didn't like to mess with any of them if I could help it. "Do you ever feel like, like you don' belong?" I asked her in a soft voice.

"No what's this? You feel you deserve better? Ceci. Look at me. We were born into this mess, and we belong in it. We wouldn't do for Noble's, would we? Now, you stop that silliness. You got your heads high up in the clouds far enough as it is." She barely stopped to look at me, and quickly went back to hanging up dresses and linens. When we finished My back was sore and all I felt like doing was sitting on a stool and mending. Which I did, for a whole two hours before I got bored nearly to tears.

I went in search of Rea, who I found in the kitchens, as usual. She was carving one of the many chickens for tonight's supper, and I started to help.

"Rea, do you ever feel like you don' belong? Like someone as put you here, but you just ain't…you belong somewhere else?" I asked my older friend.

"Ceci, what's that supposed to mean? I hate when you talk in riddles." Rea wasn't paying me much attention, so I poked her and re asked my question.

"Do ya?"

"No, Ceci. This is all my life is cut out to be. It's all _your _life is cut out to be. Why would you want something else? Slaves up in Carthack have very bad lives, and Nobles never stop fussing. Kind of like you. I don't know if you do or don't belong Ceci, but right now just get your head out of the clouds. We have work to do."

Wanted to belong here,

But something felt so wrong here,

So I prayed I could breakaway…

What ever was going on up at Corus, it had to be important. Alanna, Daine, Numair, Alan, and George were called away, so there was no high authority in the palace. This had happened before, of course. George was sometimes called away by the King to attend something or other, and Alanna was barely here any, now that her babes were all grown up. My schedule didn't change much, though I was sent onto the mission of cleaning George's rooms for him, something he didn't let any of us do until he was away. It was a chore and a half, so I enlisted Rea to help me.

Afterwards, Rea went down to the kitchens, and I went to the scribes rooms. I had been having lessons with one of the older scribes, and was slowly learning to read and write. No one knew but us two, and we planned to keep it that way. That day I learned about vowels, and about how to properly say "ings" because he hated how I said "in's."

Then it was time for a rest and lunch. Lunch was the only meal I never skipped, for I never had breakfast and dinner was unimportant. Except to Nobles, that is. After lunch I helped to clean out the stables and to mend tack. I wasn't very good at leather work, but I could stitch together pieces of bridle or saddle, and I like horses well enough.

While I stitched bridles, I dreamt of the days when I could travel, to distant lands and see sights. Meet people I had never heard of, and be any one I wanted to be. I would sail on the sea to the Copper Isles and see Aly's home, or take a ship down to Carthak, where Princess Kalisin now lives with her husband, Emperor Kaddar.

Some one poked me and I looked up to see Amily trying to grab the bridle I was mending.

"What?" I asked.

"You are to report to the Grand Hall, now. Give me this, I'll fix it. Just go!" Little Amily had worry in her eyes and her nose was red, something I had never seen before. I stood horridly and raced to the Grand Hall. There George stood, still in his traveling gear.

"Oh, thank Mithros you're here. I can't stay long, but listen to me. Listen careful, here me Cecile?" He asked, looking deep into my golden eyes.

"Yes, sir."

"I will be leaving for quite a few weeks, and I may even be gone for a month or more. I promise I won't leave you here, Ceci. Understand me?"

"What do you mean leave me here?' Where are you going? Wait!" But he was already walking away, and just before he reached the door to the outside he turned and bowed and said

"I promise."

In my haste to ask him, I had forgotten to use the lilt in my voice that was one of my most important disguises. I cursed myself in a whisper before going back outside to help finish with the tack. Now, more than ever, I knew I didn't belong with the others. Though they were nice company.

**YAY. End of chapter two, wow. It took me forever to type because I had to shower, and my dad is making this family video of me and my sister when we were really little, so I had to keep getting up to watch funny little scenes. Like me doing ballet. HAHA, funny times!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Heyy again. I am back, and I am ready to go. Just one more month before I get to go on a CRUISE!!!! I love the winter, and the snow and ice and slush...but who wouldn't want to be sailing on a big, relaxing cruise in the middle of the Atlantic, heading for South America's hottest spots? **

**Anyway, I haven't...wait. i frgot how to spell bean, no it isnt bean its ben but like, no. uh! So unbeleivably tired, though it is 10:42 in the morning. sigh **

**I will just get to it then.**

**Disclaimer: (which i forgot on the second chapter): I own nothing that is rightfully Tamora Pierce's though i wish I could say I did**

I'll Spread my wings, and I'll learn how to fly...

Do what it taked till I touch the sky

And I'll make a wish, 

Take a chance

Make a change..

And breakaway.

You got to push hard to be hard. That's what I have been telling my slef for years. Just a little more, or Just hang on. Not anymore. Not after the fight with Rea i had just had. Three days since Daine and George and Alanna had left, called away by some stupid goings-on in Corus. I was stuck here, trapped in my usual cycle...except now I escaped out of my cot more and more at night. I dress differently and look different every night, but tis still the same old me. This night was going to be a bit different, though much more exciting. For this night, I wasn't going to come back.

Stealing away was the only real answer I had to escape my problems. Rea and I had had an...an argument yesterday, and now she hated me. And it wasn't very far from the truth top say I hated her. She was soo stuck up with her "your a maid, got over yourself" and her "get your head out of the clouds" sayings. All I wsa doing was looking out the window and she started to yell at me. We had gotten ordered to clean out one of the old barns that had needed repairing, and I ws looking outside for ONE second. She starts ranting how she does all the work, how i day dream all day and get nothing done. How I never do anything that helps anyone but myself.

Trying to forget then, I stuffed the last of my clothes into the small little brown bag I had gotten for my last birthday and went into the Washing Room. Closing my eyes, I toke up a sitting stance on the side of the tub. Dark brown streaks ran down my hair as I sat there, until my hair was the perfect shade of midnight black. I turned my eyebrows that too, and let them thicken up just a tad. Making my nose smaller, for in my maid form I had a large nose, I also let my cheeks turn redder and my mouth soften. My eyes added just the tinniest spark of green, and from now on i would leave them golden. My regular clothes, a soft maid skitr and black top, would be too recognizable, so I switched them for the boy's clothes I had been storing slowly all week.

My feet I made smaller, so they would fit into one of the many shoes I found lying around ouside. I left my cot made and all of things packed and gone. Slinging the heavy bag over my shoulder, I glanced around at the other girls and realized that the only thing I would ever miss about this place was them. And maybe Erik.

* * *

Once outside in the stables, I found one of George's many extra horses. The one I chose was young and a but frisky, but solid looking and chestnut. She had a plane white blaze going down her face, and no stockings. She was not one he would be likely to remember, for she was plain and everyday looking as crickets. For this quality i named her Cricket, and saddled her with some of the extra tack that the boys use when they come here for lessons. Throwing the bag around one of them many loops, I akwardly threw myself up and into the saddle. I was no rider, and had never been on one.

Kicking Cricket lightly, we set off at an easy trot through the doors and away from the stable. Once away from the palace, there were gaurds to pass and questions to be answered, but I soehow got through the gates of the town by the time the large bell rang for the midinight hour. Sighing, I bouced along with the horses trot and wound my way through the tiny trail leading into the woods away from Pirate's Swoop east entrance.

We went at that pace for a good part of an hour, until I heard the sounds of men coming from infront of me. Probably headed back to Pirate's Swoop after a journey to Corus or somewhere else, i quickly got off the road and waited behind some trees and brush with Cricket happily munching on grass beside me. I patted her absently as the men came up. I recognized them almost instantly.

"I ope Pirate's Swoop didn't 'ave too much fun without me!" George said, and the rest of the company laughed.

"I'm sure not laddy. Still night though, perhaps we should make camp and attempt to get past your gaurds at day break." Alanna suggested.

"No, I couldn't stand to be away ,uch longer. And i promised a little girl with ... wel, you all know, I promised her I would be back soon." He said.

"It won't matter one more day or not." Someone, Hakim I think, said. I was frozen now, my hand clutching Cricket's maine. He wanted to go back there for me, but I wasn't there! 'Oh well" I thought 'he shouldn't have left if I am that important.' I knew that was mean, but I didn't want to think about what would happen when he went back there and saw me missing. Maybe send out search parties...or worse. As soon as the group was away from ear shot, I got on Cricket and we raced away from that place, stopping now and again for rests as we seemed to spread wings and fly away from the life that I hated. The life I had been trapped in. And the life I was breaking away from. Oh, Freedom felt soo good!

Out of the darkness and into the sun

But I won't forget all the ones that I love

I'll take a risk

Take a chance

Make a change

And break away...

I wasn't sure at what point we stopped, but it was when the first light of the sun's rays fell on my face. Knowing that I could puch Cricket no further without a stop, we went off the road at the first sight of a spring. I let her drink deaply and then unsaddled her and brushed her down with the only brush that I had stolen. After, i took out a long rope I had taken and tied one of her feet to a tree a far distance from the road and stretched under the tree myself. Allowing the sun to bake my face with its light, i lay and soon fell aseep.

* * *

I awoke when the sun was just going down. Cricket was asleep off to the side of the tree, and I took out an apple I had packed. Eating it happily, I looked at the map George had given me for on e of my younger birthdays. I was about a three days ride from Corus, a two days ride from Mindelan or Trebond, and if I retraced my steps fro an hour and rode on on a different road, I was a day and a halves ride from New Hope, where I had stayed for the month of June a few years back.

I got up and washed my face in the spring. Taking a deep drink and wetting my coal-back hair I saw a picture in the water. Never before had I seen anything in anything, but I had heard of Alanna seeing things in water and bright light. Looking closer at it, I saw the large city of Corus below me in the water, with it's endless winding streets and its many people coming and going form everywhere. Knowing where to go, I stood and began to re-pack everything I had taken out of the bags, starting with the brush I had used to brush my hair last night and the map. I also tucked the few small coins I had earned working as a maid i buried at the bottom of my bag and woke Cricket. She sturred and rose, and then stood meekly as I saddled her and untied the rope at her leg.

"Lets do this, girl" I said, and kicked her softly in the ribs. Taking off at a fast walk, we covered a league in about an hour. I was in no hurry, and now that I was outside I never stopped looking at everything. The trees and the birds, the springs which we stopped at for drinks and the many small animals running along. Most of them I had seen at Pirate's Swoop or from the small adventures outside of the walls that I went on with George sometimes.

Once a small woman in all brown and who had brown skin walked out of the woods infront of me, but when she saw me she shrieked and ran back into the woods. Shaking my head, I walked along on Cricket. Nymphs and Sprites were knew to me, but I had no interest in them. Never hsall I, either. Immortals do nothing but harm and destroy. They are our enemies. Even if they were cute!!!

This time when the sun started to come out, I pulled Cricket into a valley next to an inn. Instead of going into the inn, I slept in the valley of to the side. I ate wild apples and tomatoes I found in the forest and Cricket apples and grass. We both drank from a small lake off to the side, and slept until late in the afternoon. We started off when the sky was a deep purple, and continued this way for another day and a half. That's when my adventure took a turn for the worse. And I mean, the _really_ worse.

**Haha, cliffy! Just wait, more coming soon. But I have to clean my room and move my laptop downstairs and stuff. So, byebye!**

**Oh and all the spelling mistakes are my fault, but I am doing this on notepad and it doesn't have any spellchecks. Sorry!!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Heyy, sorry I have been so busy that I haven't found the time to update. I don't know how to say sorry enough, but I do have one teensy-weensy little complaint. According to my status, this story has been looked at 219 times. That isn't much, but…it is enough that I should have at LEAST 6 reviews. Want to know how many I have? 1. 1!!! Thank you to Kathy, who made that review!!!

**And people, I know Kathy did not look at my story 219 times.**

**Other than that, I like where this story is going. Not to mention I wish I had Cecile's powers! (Really, I do!!!!)**

**And, without further ado, here is chapter four the long awaited!**

**Cecile's POV, of course.**

The day started as it had the morning before, with one exception. I ached all over! I never realized how hard riding straight for 2 nights, and sleep on only 2 days worth of ground. My back ached, my head ached, my legs felt like lead, and my pinkies were about to fall off. (Don't ask, I don't know. Gripping reins _hurt!_)

I slowly tacked Cricket, ate an apple from my bag, brushed through my hair, cleaned my face, and changed. When I was done I looked at Cricket sadly. I _really_ didn't want to ride her today. I looked down at my legs. I had been riding in soft breeches the day before, but now I had taken out thicker ones. 'Maybe they will help?' I wondered. Cricket stamped impatiently. Unlike me, she seemed to like the riding and riding and sleeping by day and eating grass instead of oats.

"Ugh. Girl, let us walk a bit, shall we?" I asked, and then grabbed Cricket's reins and led her to the road. It was early, and the sun was still out. It was quickly fading, and the sky was a wonderful shade of dark blue.

"Hgmmmmm." Cricket blew out her nose, and trotted for a step, stopped, trotted, stopped, and then looked at me.

"Naughty animal." I said as I climbed on to her. "Always have to get your way." She took off, a fast trot banging me this way and that, never letting me sit still. "Ouch, ouch, ouch!" I whispered as she hit parts of the road that swerved or if she violently lurched forward. I halted her now and then, to get a drink or to stretch. It was around twelve when I started to see signs of a village.

"Let me see." I heard someone say quietly from a bush. I whirled Cricket, and saw two little heads hide back into the bush.

"Who, who…are you?" I asked, my voice quivering.

"Well, I am Leah, and this loud mouth is Daniel." A girl of about ten walked out, leading another ten-year-old child who looked sullen. Daniel was a boy with dark blonde hair, freckles, and a short nose. He was around 4'9, which is pretty short for a boy. The girl, on the other hand, was tall with tanned blonde hair, and the same short nose. They must be twins, or at least very close cousins.

"I am not that loud. You just are a hog for space." Daniel said mulishly.

"Well, I have to go." I said in a hurry. I wandered about on streets for about an hour before coming to a checkpoint. Here there was a wall. Or, at least, I thought it was. Craning my neck and squinting against the dark, I saw that it was the castle. The Castle of Corus. I wasn't sure I wanted to go in, but I was also wandering how I had gotten so far without realizing it. I let Cricket lead, as she wove back in to the crowds that were slowly going home. Most of the nicer-looking people headed to the castle, while merchants and beggars headed to shabby looking houses or pubs.

'I don't want a pub!' I thought as I glanced around for someplace to go. Being out on the streets in Corus was bad, especially at night. I glanced at the sky. It was already black, and many stars were out.

"When did the sun go away?" I wondered, knowing it couldn't have been just a few moments before. "Why, I must have been riding for hours without noticing!" I muttered.

"Hey, do you want to bunk with us?" It was Leah, towing Daniel again.

"Where do you…bunk?" I asked. They laughed at my face.

"We _live_ in the orphanage that Queen Thayet opened." Daniel said.

"Yes, we do. And there is a small barn there, if you want to." Leah added.

"Um, sure. But, I don't think I am an orphan." I told them, not daring to get off my horse until we were safe from all the beggars and no-bodies that were wandering the streets.

"Oh, I am sure they won't mind." Leah said as she led Cricket to one of the bigger houses on this street. Outside hung a sign proclaiming "Queen Thayet National Orphanage." We walked by, and to a small building off of the main one. There we unsaddled Cricket and placed her in one of the four stalls. Two other were filled with dozing horses, and the fourth was empty.

"Come. I bet they still have some dinner." Leah said, and slipped in through a side entrance.

The Next Day 

Last night the owners of the orphanage did happen to have some extra food, which Leah, Daniel, and me ate greedily. This morning they had rolls and a little fruit, along with the chicken they had had last night. I ate a roll, but didn't feel like eating any more.

"Why aren't you eatin'?" A small boy with red hair asked me as he grabbed a piece of orange off of my plate.

"I am not hungry." I said quietly to him.

"You talk funny. Like 'em big people at da castle." He told me.

"I c'n talk like you." I said in my old lilt.

"Well, yeah!" The boy said and laughed.

"Makin' friends?" Asked a taller, red haired girl. She seemed about twelve, and the boy seemed around six. "This be my brother, Wee Brain." She said and the boy laughed and poked her.

"Th' names John." Said the boy proudly. "Like th' King." He smiled at me.

"Yeah. And my names Jess." Said the older haired red headed girl, while rolling her eyes at her little brother.

"Hey, Jess." Leah said, popping up with Daniel and sitting next to her. Despite their age difference, both girls seemed to like each others company, and Daniel sat down across from a boy to my left, who looked around nine.

"What are you going to do today?" Daniel asked me.

"I am not sure. But, I guess go out and look for work." I said, and smiled sheepishly. "Though, I won't be very good at things like bargaining or selling."

"Well, maybe you could be a waiter?" Asked Daniel. Leah slapped him.

"The only waiters around here serve at pubs, and she doesn't want THAT!" Leah said.

"No! I don't want to serve at a pub!" I exclaimed, maybe a bit too loudly.

"Don't worry, I am sure you will find something." The nine year old said to me.

"Aw…you 'ittle suck up. Chuck'll do anything for a g'rl." Said Jess, and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Will not!" Shouted Chuck.

"All right everyone calm yourselves before we are punished with more work." Leah said, and that was the end of it. 'For now' I thought.

Though this place was no Pirate's Swoop, it had a homey feeling to it. More than the streets did, anyway. Besides, I felt that I liked this form, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to rest my magic. All the nightly I had done at Pirate's Swoop had been tiring. And it is hard picking different forms.

"How long you be staying?" Asked John.

"As long as I can." I replied, and hoped it was true.

I know I haven't updated in forever, but yeah. Sorry. Anyway, I am going on a cruise for a week so even if I do update it might be lousy. Wait, that is right! I only have 1 review! So, let us see…. 4 reviews. Yup. Wont' update till I get 4 reviews. 4! Not three, not two…I already have one, but FOUR!!!

**Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, so it turns out I am a bit impatient for four reviews and have decided to continue with only three. But, just so you all know, I am not happy with any of you readers who read and leave it. **

**Haha, my new saying. Reading and Leaving. NOT GOOD. At all. **

**Well, chapter five is going to be interesting, and my mind may wonder just a tiny bit. I am listening to Panic! At the Disco. A band my friend, INUcarott1, got me hooked on a few years ago.**

**Yeah, I still listen to it. Laugh all you want.**

**Well, getting back to the point, I realized I have not placed many (if any) disclaimers on this story, so before anyone gets mad at me:**

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING THAT TAMORA PIERCE OWNS. That means Tortall, some characters, names, etc. And I basically got the idea from real life, which thankfully is not copyrighted. I would have a hard time with that….**

**Oh no! I just realized I forgot to put in lyrics on the last chapter. Ok well, just forget about that little detail. Keep reading, and forget. Forget forget forget. (Me trying to hypnotize you.)**

**Onto bigger and better things. Enjoy!**

Wanna feel the warm breeze,

Sleep under a palm tree,

Feel the rush of the ocean.

John and I decided to take a walk after breakfast. His older sister, Jess, decided to finish up on some last minute assignment for one of her teachers. Daniel and Leah went to cause trouble with Chuck, and I happily let them go alone. 

First thing Chuck and I went to do was to check on Cricket. I disliked leaving her in a stable so close to pickpockets and thieves, but John said she would be fine. A middle-aged woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, hinting at Scanran traits, looked after all the animals. We met her at the stall and had a fairly warm conversation. She loved Cricket, and would take care of her for me while I searched for a life here. 

After, John led me around the town. He explained that the orphans were not really supposed to leave the orphanage, but that no one ever _stayed_ inside for long. It was almost expected that the kids would run off.

"'Nd once, I met th' King!" He said proudly, and pointed at the castle from underneath an outcrop of building where we were resting. The Corus sun was not hot, but the day was terribly humid. "He was so 'appy to see me, Jess sed 'e nearly jumped 'ith joy!" He exclaimed. Jess had warned me about how much he exaggerated, but for his sake I smiled and congratulated him.

"I wonder if I will ever get to meet the King." I said. Of course, I had already met him and his wife Thayet, all of their children, and their strange friends. But no one here had to know any of that.

"Let's go." John said, and hopped out into the street, nearly tripping an elderly lady. "S'rry Mum." He said politely to her. I took his hand after that, keeping him out of under people's legs.

"Mind if we stop at the Fruit Shop?" I asked John.

"What for?"

"I was never any good at selling things, but maybe they will know where I can get a decent paying cleaning job." He nodded slowly, and we walked along for a minute before coming to a store that John said was a Fruit Shop. 

"Why a fruit shop?" John asked me.

"I always trust people who have to make a little money for themselves more than those who already have money." I answered before walking in. He probably hadn't gotten any sense out of my answer, but I was already in the doorway of the shop, dragging him along.

"Excuse me." A girl of about 14 said to me. "I work here. May I help you with anything?" She smiled shyly, showing that her two front teeth were missing. Strange…

"I was actually wondering where I could get a good paying cleaning job. I am new to the city and am not sure where to go…" I said quietly. 

"Oh." She looked surprised. "Maybe my father can help you." She pointed to a tall, thin man behind the counter who had the same straight, brown hair as the girl. I nodded and towed John toward the man. 

"Excuse me." I called to him as we neared him. "I was just wondering, is there any place around here who is hiring to take on a cleaning lady?" I was holding John tight, making sure he didn't try to snatch anything off of any of the shelves while we chattered.

"If you go along this road, Cobblers Way this is, and along the next one, you'll find a small shop owned by a maid. You should see what she can offer you." He replied, while eyeing my tight grip on to John's hand.

"Thank you." We walked out of the store.

"I know 'ere 'e was a-talkin' bout. Not far." John said, while bouncing happily along the side of the street. I let him go, and he produced an apple from one of the many pockets of his raggly coat. He smiled and bit into it.

"Kids these days." I whispered, but kept walking. It was going to a long day.

"Almost 'ere." John called. He had finished his apple, and we had been walking for a good quarter of an hour. "No need ta worry. Ol' Lalasa is real nice." John soothed. I perked up at the name. Kel had mentioned once or twice while she was at Pirate's Swoop her old friend, who's name I remembered singing.

"I think I have heard of Lalasa." I muttered to John.

"Everyun has!" He skipped ahead. Crossing the street, he stopped outside of a clean looking shop, with beautiful dresses displayed in the dirty windows.

"John, don't take anything from in here," I warned as we went inside. 

"Hmmm." He looked at me accusingly, as If I had hurt his feelings. "Who would nick 'nything of Lalasa's?" He asked.

"Shhh." I warned him and we wound around carts of fabric, dresses, and the odd person or two. Finally we got to the back of the small, crowded store and went to the counter. 

"Hello?" I called softly. 

"Coming." A female voice somewhere in the backround said. "uh oh. Silly pins." A woman muttered as she came out of a back room, holding a piece of silk ribbon that was just about covered in pins. 

"Lalasa?" John asked, standing on his tip-toes to see over the counter. 

"That is me. Who is asking?" She asked, looking at John's proud face with a warm smile.

"John. And this be my sister, uh…Cecile." He stumbled over my name as he looked into Lalasa's eyes and then backed up a step. Lalasa was glaring out the window at someone, but I couldn't see who. 

"I am sorry dear. John? Yes. What can I do for you?" Lalasa turned from the window and looked at me.

"Well…I was hoping for a cleaning job…you know. For a while." I said quietly, looking down.

"Well, I am not sure…" Lalasa looked at the people around her, all buying or sewing or looking. "I have enough sewers, and I do all my own styling." She looked at me with worried eyes. I could tell she was around twenty, maybe older or younger. 

"That's ok. I don't sew or stitch much anyway. I was wondering if you needed anyone to clean for you. I could clean the windows, and sweep the floor, or anything." I said, rushing my words. She still looked confused.

"I suppose…but how much money would you need? I already have quite a few helpers…I couldn't afford much."

"I don't need…er…I don't want lots. Just enough to get me by." I said, rephrasing my thoughts because I _did_ need money. Lots of money.

"Well, then I suppose I could hire you for about 2 coppers every three days, plus another copper for anything you do extra. Big things, I mean." She said, eyeing John again. "Does he need work, too? He is a bit young…" She trailed off, looking at me.

"No, just me. And I kindly accept your offer." We shook hands, and John and I walked back to the orphanage in silence. 

Once back, Jess and I went up to her room to talk privately. "I miss my old home. Me and my friends sometimes would go outside, and sleep near the ocean." I said, remembering how Rea, Amily, and I had used to sleep down at the beach, a mile away from Pirate's Swoop, whenever Alanna's kids had come. Aly always took us down with Allison, who usually woke crying in the middle of the night and we would all help put her back to sleep. Remembering Rea hurt, as did remembering little Amily. I turned away from Jess.

"Hey, for whatever strange reason you left, you are here now. You are our family now. You can miss _them_ all you want, but we will be right here." I looked up into her comforting brown eyes. 'They think I was thrown out!' I thought. Let them. It is easier than telling them the truth.

In the morning of my third day in Corus, I went to Lalasa's bright and early. As I had promised, I scrubbed the outside windows till they glowed, swept the extra linen from the women's sewing up off the floor, and cleaned behind the counter.

It had been five hours when I was finally done sorting the linen and had finished my shift. Well, almost. I had also promised to help one of the young ladies look for a proper green dress to go with her green eyes. That was what I was doing when…you will never guess who walked in. 

I used to think I had pretty good luck. Everyone told me I hadn't had any luck, but I thought I was pretty lucky. Until I saw who walked through the door. 

"Hello, George!" Lalasa said, coming around from around the counter. She had really warmed up to me, and so left me alone with the money. I couldn't help but look down. I looked different than from when I had been working with him, of course, but I was still wary. I couldn't help but to remember what he had said on the way back from Corus.

"Why, hello Lalasa." He murmured. "May I come in?" His lilt was nearly gone. I peeked out from the bangs that I had added to this form. I was incredibly glad I had. 

"Why, of course." She came over to me. "Just wait here." She said and stuffed the rest of the money from the machine into a bag she carried into the back. She smiled at me and nodded to the young women who I was supposed to be helping. 

"I am sorry." I said to her and walked over. 

"That is alright. What is your name?" I realized I hadn't told Lalasa that either. 'Easy hiring circumstances, or just not interested?' I wondered.

"Erm… I'm…S…Sadie." I stammered, thinking fast. 'Princess?' I wondered. That is what Sadie meant. It had just sort of popped out.

"Hello, Sadie. I like that name. Very proper." Said the lady. "I am Thayet." I immediately jumped up and bowed low to her. The Queen!

"I am sorry, Majesty." I said while bowing.

"Now stop that! We were talking so pleasantly! Please, just call me Thayet." She pleaded real sorrow in her eyes, which also held a tint of mischief. 

"Oh no, Majesty. I really am sorry." I fled then, calling upon one of the sew-mistresses, Nora, to help Thayet while I ran to Lalasa. 

"Lalasa! You'll never guess, never, who that lady was!" I shouted as I headed into the back, where she and George had headed. 

"No, I haven't seen anyone like that." I heard Lalasa say before I exploded into the room. 

"Whoa!" George said. The door banged and I ran into the room, stumbling on the edge of n intricate carpet. George instinctively reached out a hand and steadied me. 

"Thanks." I muttered before turning my eyes back to Lalasa. "The Queen! Thayet! She is in there! The one, buying the green dress, Thayet! You'll never guess! She told me …she TALKED to me!" I pretended 

to prattle on, nearly glowing with excitement. Of course, I had seen Thayet many times before. But, she was so beautiful when she was trying to be ordinary! And her eyes, I had never been that close to her. As a maid I had had to stay away, except when her kids wanted to play with me.

"Slow down, girl!" Lalasa commanded.

"Sadie" I said without hesitation.

"Sadie, slow down. Lalasa comes in all the time to buy dresses. I used to work in the palace." Disappointment hit me, and I turned away from her. George looked strangely at me. I stared at him.

"Do I know you, Sadie?" He asked me. I could feel myself blush. Stupid giving-away-blush!

**That is the end of this chapter. I think I have been addicted to writing. Next chapter coming soon, hopefully. With the emphasis on hopefully.**

**Actually, no it won't. I just got back from watching a movie with my sister and it is now 10:37. I am going to bed. Not that I have school ion the morning or anything, but INUcarrot1 is coming over so we can update Sand Runners and a few other things. Plus we are going to go for a walk tomorrow, and I need my sleep. Unless you want me falling asleep against a tree, of course!**

**Catch you later alligator!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Duh Duh Duh…the notorious George Cooper is back…in the flash! Climax coming soon, maybe in the next few chapters. Who is the mysterious Cecile?**

**Just a few things. Once I am done with this book I will start up Earth's Last again. I liked this story better so I put my other one on hold. No matter. All of them will be finished up sometime. I do have to say that I am quite mad at all you readers out there. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW.**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW! There. Maybe you will get the picture now. I have basically no reviews. Thank you to those who did. You guys are my heroes. **

**Onwards and upwards.**

**These lyrics are going to be pretty hard to fit into the story, seeing as there are no Jet Plains or fast trains. And it won't be Ceci who wants to leave, either. Work with me here buddies.**

**Get onboard a fast train,**

**Travel on a jet plain, far away…**

**And Break away….**

He had me pinned. My blush was evident, but then again I have been known for having a few tricks up my sleeve.

"Me? Know you? Uhm…" I took a step back and looked into those eyes. I knew them so well. That face, full of trust and compassion and laughter. And his big nose. Looking at it wanted to make me giggle. I squished the thought within an inch of its life. "No."

He still didn't look completely convinced. "Well, Lalasa I have to be off. Lots to do. And if you see anyone like her, do tell me." He left, his long legs carrying him out the door and through the shop faster than I could run.

"Such a peculiar man. You know he is having search parties put out to find a stray maid? A maid! Search parties…the man is almost as strange as Alanna about that. It isn't a bad thing," She rushed to assure me, "It is just peculiar."

"Very." I mumbled through clenched teeth. 'Me?' I thought. Couldn't be, though. No one cared about me that much, for sure!

"Hm. Has the Queen picked her dress yet? Perhaps I could show her the white lace she could add…" Lalasa walked out of the back room, mumbling to herself. I looked out the window to find the sun farther down in the sky than I remembered. My shift was over by a while. I walked out the back door and into the cool, crisp air.

"One day a Lioness fought the Dragon,

And, oh! What a fight it was…"

A boy walked by me, singing in a sweet little boy soprano voice. I hummed the melody as he walked away. I was sad and home sick, but I didn't want to go back to the orphanage just yet. I milled around outside of shops for a good part of an hour, and ate an apple from the fruit shop where the girl and her father who had helped me before worked. They seemed happy to see me, and they didn't report any missing apples so I was relieved.

"Lionesses be nimble, Dragons be quick,

Who could win, without silly old tricks?"

I finished the last few verses of the song, and laughed at myself. Singing about the Lioness was the same as praying to your mother, to me. If I had had a mother, that is.

"'Ey! Cecile!" Jess was sitting on top of a low fence, surrounding some farm animals. "Care ta' join us?" She asked.

"Sure." I thankfully climbed up onto the fence. "Isn't it a bit late for you guys to be out?" I motioned to Leah and Daniel, who also sat on top of the fence.

"Naw. It in't like the place is jail, is it?" She asked me. "Just a place. You know? Ta' sleep and meet people." She smiled. "'Nd soon I won' even be there 'nymore. Nope. Sixteen. Four more year'." She was practically bouncing with excitement. "Im a-gonna go everyhwhere, once I'm free. Not leavin' one place un-looked." She sat up straighter and looked me in the face. "What 're you goin' ta do, once your' free?"

"I am free, in a way." I said, then grimaced. I was not free, far from it. "Well, see, I was tied down…to a place. And I just felt so…wrong there. Like, everyone else was fine with it. But not me. And then, one day, I just…left. Up and left in the middle of the night. And I came here." I had never told anyone that much of the story, and I was worried about how she would react.

"I wish I 'ould do that. Up and leave. 'Specially John. Ugh!" She sighed and rolled her neck in a full circle. "What did it feel like? Bein' free? Was it…neat?"

"Uhm, well I missed people. I was sad and tired and alone. I had Cricket, but after a while you start to question your sanity when you talk to a horse." Jess giggled and I smiled. "But, yeah I guess it was cool. Knowing I wouldn't have to wait for that bath, or get pushed around by some stuffy noble. Be looked down upon or frowned on or anything. Yeah, it was nice." I prattled on and on, spilling my guts to Jess. At some point I realized that Leah and Daniel got up and left, but Jess just told me to keep going.

"Well, lets' star' ta head back." Jess said sadly.

"Yeah." I glanced at the sky to find it nearly black. "Whoa!" I said.

"Get's dark here fast, eh?" Asked Jess and then laughed.

"Fast, fast, fast." I whispered. We walked along, Jess telling stories of John when he was really young and of the parents that she could barely remember.

"Wonder who popped by f'r a visit." Jess said as she glanced at the barn. Cricket was in her usual stall, being lazy and getting a bit plump. The stall next to her stood empty, but then one farthest away from her, in the shadow of the hay-stock, was a fine black mare with a white-gold mane and tail. She had a small blaze running down her cheek, and only one stocking. She was a beauty.

"Let's go see." I said. She looked oddly familiar. Maybe on of the nobles from Pirate's Swoop horses. I didn't really take care of them or any other pets much when I worked there. People were easier.

"Prob'ly some rich money-bag who wants a k'd ta push aroun'." Jess said, but walked calmly into the building alongside me.

"Are you sure? No new people, no new _kids_ who don't look familiar? Nothing?" An impatient voice asked from one of the rooms that led off of the main entrance way.

"No, ma'am. We have one new girl, but she is nothing like that. I am not sure where she came from, but…" The voice, obviously the one they call Madam Demoille, the woman who runs the orphanage, was talking to someone. And Ceci knew that someone's voice anywhere.

"Ugh. Let me see her. Have you no paintings? Fingerprints? Papers of Recognition? Do you let just _anyone_ into this place?" Alanna the Lioness, in all her power, was starting to lose her patience. Ceci could hear it in her voice.

"Let me call one of the girls, and she will be sure to fetch…the new girl." Madam Demoille said politely. 'Have I told anyone my name?' I wondered.

"No need," Jess said. She had walked to the door while I wasn't paying attention to her. "Cecile is right here." She pulled me into the small sitting room, where Madam Demoille sat behind a large wooden desk, and the Lady Knight stood in front of it, face flushed with anger and coppery hair sticking out at odd ends.

"Goodness I am getting to old for this." Alanna sighed as she looked at me. "Cecile? Odd name. Not many with that name, except our Ceci." She stated, looking into my own Golden-green eyes. Strange-for-strange, I thought. "You don't exactly look like her, but those eyes…" She mumbled something incoherent, and then turned back to Madam Demoille. "I will be taking Cecile to the Palace for further questioning and a test for the Gift." She stated bluntly.

"The…The gift? Sir, Madam…Knight, I can not let you take…Cecile without a written permit and…" She was cut off from saying anymore by a purple-eyed stare and a flash of anger. "Uh…I guess…just fill out this form." Madam Demoille handed Alanna a slip of parchment, a quill, and some ink. We all waited tensely for Alanna to finish and Jess nudged me. She had escaped, somehow, and had come back with my little brown bag of clothes and things.

"Thanks." I mouthed to her. She nodded and walked off.

"And here you are." The lady knight handed the parchment back to Madam Demoille. "Come along. My ounce of patience for the day has been wasted." Alanna said to me, and nearly dragged me out of the room.

'Uh-oh.' I thought. 'This won't end well.'

**Hahahahahaha! Cliffy! :-PPPPPPPPP **

**It has multiple chins and multiple tongues.**

**5:-**

**Anyway, shower and eat and stuff and then maybe write chapter seven. 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7. 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7!!**

**Ben, the two of us may look no more……….**

**Awww, Connie Talbot is sooo cute! Sorry, watching Britain's Got Talent. Go YouTube!**

**Anyway, thank you to XxTunstallChickxX, who is my best reviewer so far. My heart goes out to you, girl! **

**The rest of you still need to REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!! **

**Please?**

**Well, I can barely contain my own excitement to see where this fanfic is going! So, let's not stop any time soon.**

**Chapter 7, here you go!**

Buildings with a hundred floors, 

Swinging around revolving doors, 

Maybe I don't know where they'll take me, but

Gotta keep moving on, moving on

Fly away, and break away…

**Numair's POV**

'Just a little more time, let this settle, and then I can add a hint of griffin feather and see where that goes…' I was rudely interrupted by Alanna walking in, towing a girl so enveloped in her won magic that it seemed to swallow her.

"Numair, I need you to test Cecil for the Gift. I would, but I have been running about for the past week and am so tired…" The Lioness' shoulders sagged as she realized I was working on something very important. I don't like to be interrupted.

"I don't see why she needs to be tested. She is basically glowing." I mumbled, turning back to my work.

"Glowing?" Alanna looked at Cecile again, then back at me. "I don't see it." I was impatient now, and a little angry, to say the least.

"You can't see Wild Magic, either. Now leave me be."

"Numair, what are you talking about? She has Wild Magic?" Alanna looked bewildered.

"I don't, ma'am, I can't talk to animals. Maybe we should leave…" The girl Cecile, the air from her voice even glowed from her magic use.

"Maybe you should show us a demonstration. You have learned to control your power or it will burst of you in five seconds, the least damage would be killing us all." I said and Alanna held her breath for a count of ten before persisting on.

"So you knew? You know? You know you have magic? No the Gift? Then what?" She turned to Cecile, who was standing in the universal signal for "please get me out of here." I gave her a 'sorry' stare and then said

"So if this is settled, please leave. I am in the middle of some very dangerous spells here." They both turned and fled from my rooms, leaving me pondering the strange girl. I made a mental note to find her later. For now, these Costume-Make-Spells were not working quite right. Maybe a little more of Spidren web…

**Cecile's POV**

After visiting Numair, who I have known since infancy, the castle blurred by. We passed thousand of hundreds of thousands of rooms, millions of people, and at least twelve floors before coming to a stop before two large, wooden doors. Alanna took a moment to collect herself, and that was when I realized how tense she looked. And how tired. And…sad?

She pushed on one of the doors, opening it just enough to allow herself and me into the room beyond. It was a large meeting room, not unlike the smaller one they have at Pirate's Swoop for when the nobility come for a Royal Visit. Two thrones sat on a raised dais on the far side of the room, surrounded by open space and accompanied by two tall, marble pillars. Upon the throne sat the two most beautiful people to grace this Earth, and yet both were recognizable. As someone who had supposedly never been here before, none of this was new to me.

"John, Thayet." Alanna said, bowing quickly to them. I bowed low and slow to each of them. They nodded in turn.

"Alanna, who is this?" John asked, eyeing me.

"Why, aren't you the village worker who helped me pick out my dress just today?" Asked Thayet. "Sadie, right?"

Alanna looked at me, astonishment on her face and fury whitening her face. "NO! No, no, no!" I mumbled. "I am Cecile. Cecile of…I guess Pirate's Swoop." I ran away…I wanted to add, but I couldn't my throat had taken on a feeling of dry wool, and a lump was building in it.

"Impossible, you look nothing like her. She had browner eyes, blonder hair, bigger nose…" Alanna went on, listing everything I had changed.

"Yes, yes, my form had all of that." I conceded once she had stopped.

"You're…form?" Alanna asked.

"Yeah. I can…you know, change forms. It's not hard." I mumbled, looking at the floor. How awkward can you get? This awkward.

"Honey, what do you mean 'this form'?" Thayet asked kindly.

"I mean, I can change my form. Within limits. The way I look." I tried to talk better, make longer sentences so they could understand, but everything was moving so fast. A man walked in with long, dark brown hair and who was at least 5'7'', along with a girl with sandy brown hair, blue eyes, and who was at least 5'11'', maybe 6'0''. They were in their early twenties, at least!

"Thayet, John. Alanna, I heard the ruckus and came to see what was up. Who's that?" The man asked. The woman stayed silent, staring straight at me. Keladry of Mindelan, and Nealan of Queenscove, two nights, Keladry, the second Lady Knight of the realm, formally from the Yamani Isles, had visited Pirate's Swoop many times.

"This is Cecile of Pirate's Swoop, who can change…the way she looks." Alanna said with a bite in her words. 'Today has gone by way to fast.'

"Really?" Neal looked at me. He had the air of an experienced healer, for all his age. "Would you care to demonstrate?" I looked pleadingly at the King, but he, too, seemed interested.

"I…uhm…I guess." I said. I wasn't happy about it, though. Sitting precariously on a chair that was brought in one by a servant, I closed my eyes. I felt the black leeching from my hair, and transferred it to my eyes. Taking the gold from my eyes, I mixed it into my hair, and took the red out of cheeks, forming strawberry-blonde. My nose I made smaller, my eyebrows thinner, my complexion tanner. My lips unfilled, my chin sharpened. Every little detail I had worked into this form I took out, leaving me in the form I had stayed in for most of my servant years.

"Whoa." I heard Thayet whisper quietly, and Alanna took a step back. King Jonathon cleared his throat. I could feel their awkwardness, the fright. I have known them my whole life. They said they loved me. And they were scared of me. Today had been too much. This whole week had been too much. Freedom? There was no such thing. I felt a silent tear drop down from my eye and fall into my limp hand. A second fell from my eye before Alanna swept me up in a hug.

"Shhhh." She said. I just shook my head and cried silently into her shoulder.

I finally got the courage to look at everyone, and looked first at the King. He was taken back, to say the least, but he also looked sad and I could tell he wanted to help me. But with what, I still didn't know.

"Well, it seems we have a bit of a problem here." He commented. That did it. This thing was one big mess. I started cracking up, and soon everyone was laughing.

"You can say that." Kel said. "But now that I see…you, I recognize you. You were a maid at Pirate's Swoop, weren't you? The one that went missing?" Yeah…that is me.

"Yeah." I hiccupped.

"Well, Cecile, if it isn't too much to ask, can we see the form you were born in?" Thayet asked. I looked at her with confusion. "I understand you have been through a lot today, but your looks may help us find where you came from."

"Can't you just ask George? My parents left me with him when I was a new born." I asked.

"It is not that simple. You weren't handed to George, you were left. On the entrance way. With a note." Alanna said each painful sentence slowly, and with deliberate meaning. "We don't know anymore about your past than what was left in the note." She had pain in her eyes, but I barely heard her words.

"So where is the note?" I asked, my voice trembling. This is what I had dreamed about for so long! A door, a secret something that leads me to my parents.

"Uhm, actually Ceci, we can't give it to you." Alanna said. My eyes narrowed. What was that supposed to mean? "See, I would…if I had it. But upon opening it we had about an hour before it decomposed. It is an easy spell, because naturally everything decomposes, but we could not get it back."

"So what did it-" I was cut off by a page in what I supposed to be around his second year ran in.

"Message, from Fort Mastiff." He said, looking worried. Mastiff…Mastiff…wasn't that fort somewhere near Scanra? That's right! Alanna and George were talking about how Scanra has been awful quite not even a month ago!

"What?" Queen Thayet asked gently.

"I don't know a messenger came running in here but five minutes ago, asking to speak to you. He's right outside…" The boy ran out the door but was back within ten seconds of his departure, towing a man in his early twenties. The man had scars that were still bleeding sluggishly and what seemed to be a broken wrist.

"I…I…" The messenger panted, sweating and shaky, before taking a shuddering breath and murmuring "They attacked out of no where. From the woods and the hills, everywhere. And no where. They just … came." He shuddered and collapsed.

John stood and, still looking slightly shaken, said in a steady voice as any good king would do, "Round any of the knights still here. Send them to Mastiff."

**Ohhhh. Cliffy. Again. :-P. No, she isn't like Scanra's Queen or anything. But there was thing I came up with in math a few weeks ago, and they need a lot of enemies attacking. I mean, what could be more stressful than all of your enemies forming together and attacking?**

**Nothing. Haha. Just wait. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey Hey Hey!**

**Chapter 8. W-O-W. **

**I just reread my first chapter, and I remembered I hadnt really thought about getting past the first three chapters or maybe four. But here we are, at chapter eight.**

**A big thank you to all reviewers, but you guys can do better. **

**I don't own TP or anything to do with Break Away. **

**On and on and on the story goes!**

**Ahhh runnign out of lyrics!!**

I'll spread my wings and

I'll learn how to fly,

Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye,

I gotta take a risk,

Take a chance,

Make a change,

And Breakaway.

**Cecile's POV**

If I thought things had moved fast before, it was no comparison to what happened to now. The King and Queen left to rally the Knights, Squires, and soldiers who were leaving to Fort Mastiff. Alanna, Kel, and Neal were among them, leaving me alone.

A woman came in and sat with me. I knew her well. Veralidaine Sarasri, father of two of my young friends: Sarralyn and Rikash.

She didn't seem frightened of me, so I let some of my tensed muscles relax.

"So this is what you look like?" Daine asked me.

"You've seen it before." I said, my voice thick and throaty.

"Well, I am sure I have. But I haven't seen the true you." Daine gave me a skeptical look.

"Truth to tell, mistress, I haven't seen the true me, neither." I said, letting my lilt come back a little.

"What does that mean?" Daine asked.

"Well, when I was a babe I changed a lot of times. My eyes, my nose, small things. I have no idea what I really look like." I told her, my eyes holding hers so she would know I spoke the truth.

"Oh, well don't you just, know? Know that this form or that form is your true form?"

"Well, it ain;t that simple. It ain't like this nose goes with those eyes. I just .. mix around colors and textures and stuff…" I felt my cheeks burn and glanced down at the ground. It was down-right embarrassing to not be able to explain my own self!

"Oh." She looked blank for a moment, before continuing. "You know, whne I was younger and just learning how to control my magic, I didn't really know myself, either. I was lost in the Magic, but I got help. Now I know how to keep my sould away from the sould of my magic. Maybe…maybe you can do that too?" I gaped at Daine.

"You was lost? Didn't them animals attack you then?" My lilt had come back in full blow because of the pressure and my new façade.

"Some of them did." Daine persisted, taking my hand and looking me straight in the eyes. "But some helped me. They just couldn't help much, because I didn't know how to control myself. But, when I did, they helped me a lot." I frowned a bit.

"So ya' think if I leanr to control tha' magic, I can see meself right?" I was so confused. I was sure I had controlled my magic down to it's finer points, but what if I hadn't? "But I already did. So what's this gotta do with me?"

"Well, if you let some of our mages look at you we will be able to tell if you really have controlled it. And then we should be able to let you come back to your original form. And maybe you'll be recognizeable as someone's child. Perhaps someone important's child." Daine looked at me. I am not sure, but I think a tear dripped form my eye at that moment.

"I wanna." I whispered.

"Good." Daine sighed, leaning back in her chair. "You were easy. I thought you would be a bit harder. I am getting quite old." Daine looked quite satisfied.

"Uh… is that why you came?" I asked, a little hurt.

"Oh, I wanted to talk to you, too. And because of course we have been friends for a time. I know how hard this is to get around, but you really are quite brave."Daine clasped my hand again, and I smiled.

"Naw. Not brave. That's for Knights and sissies. I just be along for the ride." I smiled shakily up at her.

"Then you are strapped in pretty darn tight." She said to me.

"As Mithros wills," I whispered. She nodded, and we fell into companionable silence.

I am not sure at what time we fell asleep, but I do remember waking to an empty room, with almost no lighting but for one or two torches. It was dark outside, night. I jerked to standing, and nearly fell my knees hurt so bad. I walked stiffly to the door, and opened one of the great wooden doors. Walking out, I found a sleeping maid sitting outside of the double doors. So, they were watching me. Interesting.

I walked by the maid, and walked around aimlissly for a while. It seemed as though everyone had been departed to Mastiff, for no one but me waslked the halls. Turning a corner, a man grabbed me by the waist and put a hand over my mouth. A cloth layed on his hand, and before I could stop myself, I gasped and got a lung fill of far too sickly-sweet potion. I was out before I could raise a hand to stop him.

**King Jonathon's POV**

It seemed that all of the nations that wanted Tortall off the map had decided to attack simultaneously. Scanra of course was full out attacking our northern boarder, but also the Copper Isles **(This is before Aly settled it) **and Carthak were invading. Though Kadar was Emporer, many peoples in Carthak were still in an anti-Tortall setting, meaning many people were attacking. It was horror.

"Jon!" Thayet called out. Jon ran to her and hugged her feircely. "Jon, we have to go! There aren't enough soldiers!"

"I know. We are going to help." I told her.

"What?" Thayet looked me right in the eye.

"Roudn up the Queen's Riders, and any of the Own who are left." I pushed her lightly, and she smiled and ran off. I shook my head. How could she be _happy_ going off fighting? What if I los… no, no thinking about that.

An hour later all that were left were ready, and we were about to set off for New Hope, a fort Keladry of Mindelan first built for a village to house refugees, but now a thriving and aspiring town of middle size. Just as we set off at a light trot, me leading and Thayet at my right with Myles to her right, A runner came from the Palace.

"HELP!" He screamed. "A … A… A ATTACK! AN ATTACK ON TH' PALACE!" He screamed, and dropped dead from lack of air. He must have run from the opposite side of the palace! Many soldiers rushed over to try to help, but I screamed for them to stop. We had to think about the maids, clerks, and servants left in the palace!

"Head back! Back to the Palace!" I yelled, and all those stopped for a moment to eye me, then ran back into the palace. This day just keeps geting worse and worse…

**Cecile's POV**

I awoke for the second time on a chair. This time it was much more unconfortable, seeing as I was tied to it. Not remembering how I had gotten here, I struggled, but then lay limp. What could I do? A man walked in then.

"Good. You are awake." He reached out and touched my cheek. "You are a pretty thing." They had forgotten to tie my mouth shut. Mistake number one. I turned my head and bit him. Hard. "Youch!" He screamed, and ran from my small prison , slamming the door e had come threw hard. My room was shut to blackness.

"HELP!HELP!HELP!" I screamed. I tried to kick off the ropes holding me to the chair. The ropes were sucuring my ankles, my waist, my elbows, and all they way up to my chin. There they stopped. Mistake number two: the ropes weren't that tight. I quickly calmed down, and forced my being smaller, skinnier, but taller. When I was almost too skinny to be human, I wiggled out of the web of ropes. Once out, I changed myself back into what I thought may be right. But it was dark, so I wasn't sure.

Trying the door, I found it was locked. Of course, nothing could be _that_ simple in this. I tried looking at my hand, btu it was too dark. I shuddered, and closed my eyes. This was gonna hurt!

Forcing my hand as skinny as it could go, it became wide as a cooking pan that I used to use when I was a maid. _When I was a maid. _That seemed like it was a forever ago away, but really it was about…a week? Maybe two… I am not sure. Sticking my hand threw the tiny crack between the door and the wall, I brought it around, feeling for a knob on the other side. Upon finding it, I moved it. It made a small "click"-ing sound, and then the door opened. It didn't even creak. Someone had been preparing for this!

Outside of my prison, an empty hallway waited, echoing silence across distances unknown. It was an icredibly long hallway. No other ones led off of this one, and it didn't seem to end. Making a quick decision, I took the left side. Right just never seemed right anymore.

I trotted along, not saying anything. At first the running was easy, seeing as I was in pretty good shape. But then it got harder, and I started to slow. The air itself seemed to drag me down, but not only this! It was also leaching away my magic, the one thing that kept me looking like I did. I tried to put up barracades as I have before, but whatever spell this was just leached those away, too. And the more I put up, the more tired I became. Soon I was walking, my hands held above my head to try and stop what ever was happening. I hoped the hall would end soon. But it didn't. it still seemed to stretch to the ever-more, and by now I was struggling to walk. My magic was almost gone, pulled to some unkown force by an unknown spell.

Crawling, I still moved forward. I noticed things changing very subtely. My arms were taking on a much more brown appearance, my hair curling like little C's. I _felt_ myself getting thinner, and my hair changed to dark brown, then black. I wondered if this was my actual appearance. I didn't have the strength to wonder for long, because the spell was making evrything turn to mud. The air in the hallway, the air in lungs, my legs seemed to try to plow through mud. I kept struggling forward, until, finally, as I thought I was about to collapse, I reached the end. I put up my hand and touched a wall that marked the dead end.

"Shoot," I whispered. "Shoulda taken the right one." And I blacked out.

**Mua hahahahahaha. Cliffy.**

**I promise you, all shall be revealed (including why I picked Breakaway, because the kyrics had basically nothing to do with this chapter) in the next chapter.**

**Not only the next chapter…THE LAST CHAPTER!!**

**Yes, yes, I know, very sad…but hopefully with this one finished I can take at least one of my other stories and start UPDATING! And I have a new story (already all written on paper) at school that I will start when Earth's Last, Tortall's First is over. **

**See, now I am handling everything in small gulps. I can do it!**

**See you all next chapter.**

**Oh, and did you realize the Ceci was talking as though everything had already happened? Called the past tense. You will see why, too, next chapter!**


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